


Hey is for Horses

by forestofsecrets



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Gender-neutral Reader, Horses, Other, Pre-Relationship, the riding crop is mentioned lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22269226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forestofsecrets/pseuds/forestofsecrets
Summary: Ren invites you to the stables to watch Camus practice. Maybe it'll give Camus a little push?
Relationships: Camus (Uta no Prince-sama)/Reader
Kudos: 15





	Hey is for Horses

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Graceful Equestrian event that Camus got in Shining Live. I used to ride and jump horses so this was pretty fun to write. This is also one of the presents that I wrote for my boyfriend for Christmas! He won't admit he likes Camus so lol. There is another one I wrote with Ai so he can still be with his best boy. That one will be posted next. 
> 
> In Fire Emblem Heroes news, I have been saving my orbs for L!Chrom and Sylvain but W!Chrom was tempting me... My own W!Chrom was at +4 and I have always wanted to +10 him so I just went for it. Chrom is my favourite so I am really happy cause he looks and plays amazing. I managed to chromplete him and still have 1k orbs left so back to saving for me.
> 
> Made on 12/26/2019.

You’ve never been to a barn before so when the invitation was extended to you through Ren, you didn’t turn it down. Stepping through the door, however, almost made you wish that you did. 

“You’ll get used to the smell.” The words were paired with a laugh as your face wrinkled in disgust. It took a few trips before Ren himself got used to it but for a first timer, the manure was overwhelming. “Before long, you won’t even notice it.” 

You could only take his word for it as he led you through the barn. Stalls lined the walkways, some of them housed a single occupant. Most of the horses ignored you, nothing but a passing face through the wooden bars. A few lifted their head or flickered their ears at you. One was particularly talkative and neighed softly.

Bales of hay were everywhere. It was almost stereotypical, the amount of hay within the barn. Passing by an open doorway gave you a quick eyeful of dozens of them stacked in what must have been the storehouse. Stray straws, fallen from their bales, were everywhere. Most of them had been swept aside at some point, against the bottom of the walls. It made you glad you wore boots.

“Where’s Camus?” That was part of the reason you had been invited; Ren had said something along the lines of giving Camus a nudge. There were still a few days before the big show so both idols were busy practising with their horses. You were peering down the hallways to try to catch a glimpse of the count to no avail.

Ren was leading you towards a large, open area where a horse and rider trotted in large circles. The area was contained by fences, so you didn’t accidentally walk into the path of the horse. There was only a single horse in the area, led by a competent rider. You recognized him instantly. The black riding helmet only served to accent his pale hair. The vest made his back impossibly straight, spine arcing perfectly. 

Camus didn’t notice the two of you at one end of the fence. He continued with his repeated exercise; trotting and cantering the ring. There was a lone jump set with a low bar near the far end. “Is he going to jump that?” You fixed your eyes to the stand, the distance made it tricky to determine exactly how high it was. If you had to guess, it came up to your waist.

Ren’s own eyes narrowed. “He hasn’t done jumping today. It might be better not to work the horse up so much. He’s been correcting the horse’s gait all day.” Bringing a hand to his mouth, Ren let a whistle rip through the air. It made Camus’s head turn, alerting him to his audience. He broke his pattern to approach the fence.

The closer Camus got, the more you noticed the horse. It was pure white except for around its muzzle, which faded into a light gray. Its mane was blond, matching its rider. While you were fine watching the horse from a distance, the closer it got, the larger it seemed. Your hands retreated from atop the fence and you found yourself stepping back.

“What’s the meaning of this, Jinguji?” Camus halted the animal in front of you with a pull on the reins with gloved hands. It came to a standstill immediately and you expected nothing less of an animal being led by Camus.

“Is there a problem, Baron?” The amusement was obvious. “Aren’t you going to jump for us?” 

The frown that tugged the corners of Camus’s mouth down was glaring. He was silent for a moment, most likely internally debating if it was worth following Ren’s demand. But he met your eyes and made his mind up. He dug his heels in the side of the horse and he was off. 

Camus didn’t go right for the jump. Instead, he led his horse in a trot around the ring, much like he was doing prior to your arrival. He stayed close to the fence, giving you a show as he rode. After watching him go by a second time, a question rose to the front of your mind.

“What is he doing?” It was spoken out of the side of your mouth towards Ren. Your eyes remained trained on Camus as he commanded his horse another time around. “Is he… Bouncing?” There was no other word for it as Camus repeatedly rose a few inches out of the saddle before sitting flat on it again. It went on indefinitely.

“That’s called posting. It makes for a cleaner ride than if he were to just sit there.” You made an appreciative sound at Ren’s explanation. Horseback riding held a certain pretentiousness about it, a hobby for rich boys. While not in full dressage, Camus still made it look regal. You had to give it to him, he looked damn good. 

The pattern was disrupted on the fifth by. Controlling his horse, Camus rode straight for the jump. Your hands tightened their grip on the top of the fence, not too sure when you had approached it again. You couldn’t help but swallow slowly, your nerves grew as he got closer.

It was over in a few seconds. Flying through the air, he cleared the jump easily. The hooves of the horse kicked up dirt as it leapt. The pair made a long turn before returning the jump a second time. It gave you a frontal view this time so it was easier to see Camus lean forward, hands travelling upwards on the mane. His head was up, staring right down the ring. Once the jump was behind him again, the horse went on a forward path, dropping down to a walk midway. He leaned down slightly, petting the horse’s neck and murmuring words of praise, if you had to guess.

Ren spoke up from the side. “He’ll have to walk the ring a few times to cool down. Care to wait?” You nodded to Ren, who smiled. “I figured. Well, I’ll see you around then.” With a wave, the idol went wandering down a hallway unknown to you. 

Camus finished his ride quickly and dismounted. He moved the reins over the horse’s head in order to tow the horse behind him as he walked to the gate of the ring. You walked over too, keeping on your side of the fence. His first few steps out of the ring tracked dirt in his footsteps and he called you over.

“Stay by my side.” It was as much of a command as he was giving the horse a moment ago. But you very much intended to stay in front of the horse rather than walk behind it so you did as he said. With Ren gone, you needed to rely on Camus to find your way around the barn anyways. The pair of you walked in silence to the stall designated for use by Camus. He secured the horse to leads fastened to the wall so the horse was held in place while Camus removed the tack.

The horse was much taller than you thought originally. Thin, spindly legs held up a lean body with a long, thick neck. With a swishing tail, the horse shifted its weight among its hooves. Now that you were standing beside it, it dwarfed you easily. How could Camus command such a beast with ease? You couldn’t help but wonder. Your emotions were plain on your face as Camus gave a self-assured smirk.

“Have you never seen a horse before?” His words snapped you out of your daydream and you realized you were staring at the horse. The tack had already been removed and blanket, revealing a smooth flank. The hair was clipped short but it was matted and sweaty, the blanket left an imprint. 

You shook your head. “Not in real life. I didn’t realize they were so big.” You sounded like an idiot but you spoke the truth. It’s not like they measure the horses up on television. The screen failed to capture the wildness within the animal. They were tamed, sure, but those eyes held a natural need for freedom. 

When a brush was held out to you, you could only blink at it. “Take it.” Once again, your actions followed Camus’s direction. The brush felt foreign in your hand and you were confused at what Camus wanted you to do with it. “Brush him.” 

Him. The horse. Camus turned up a second brush, similar to the one that he gave you. He passed it over the horse’s side, working through the knots created by the ride. The short hair untangled easily as he worked the brush through again. Stopping to look at you, he prompted you with his eyes. 

Realizing he was serious, you approached. Your strokes were awkward and unpractised in comparison to his but with enough passes, you managed to give the horse his glossy coat back. When the two of you switched to the horse’s other side, you struck up the start of a conversation. 

“I heard from Ren that you were correcting his gait?” Not that you knew entirely what that was but you knew Camus viewed ignorance as a cardinal sin so you kept quiet about it. You had some idea, anyway, it had to be about how the horse walked? Either way, you hoped you didn’t reveal your tell in the way you said the word, it was new to your tongue. “Did that go well?”

A pause before his answer made you think Camus didn’t hear you. “It did. Correcting the faulty trait wasn’t beyond my capabilities.” Camus withdrew his brush and put it back where he got it from, a bucket within the stall. You continued to smooth out the hair on the horse, making him sleek and shiny. “Horses are intelligent creatures. He was able to realize his own missteps.”

Was that a joke? Did Camus just make a joke? You gave a little chuckle, partly because it kept up your charade about knowing what a gait was and partly because it wasn’t too bad of a joke. Camus radiated a smug aura upon hearing your reaction. “How did you manage that?” The thought of anyone telling the horse what to do still spooked you now that you felt the power under the coat and the strength in him. It amazed you that Camus made it look so easy, no doubt with years of practice under his belt.

The horse’s coat was clean now, brushed thoroughly. His white hair gleamed under the lighting of the barn. You ducked into the stall to drop the brush in the bucket. Wiping your hands on your pants, you dusted yourself off. When you looked back at Camus, he was holding a riding crop. It must have been the source of his success. 

“Anything can be corrected with the proper discipline. For horses, it’s a crop.” He opened one of his palms and let the end of the crop come down in the middle of it, emitting a smacking sound. Most of the impact had been absorbed by the material of the glove so you doubt he felt it. Camus tilted his head to one side, looking high and haughty. 

“I wonder if it’s also the proper discipline for boasting literacy on unfamiliar topics.” His words sent a chill down your spine and your eyes revealed more than you could say. “Do you care to find out?”

**Author's Note:**

> Why do all of my Camus stories end up like. Vaguely sexual. I blame the riding crop for this one. I have a pretty red one myself that should see more use. Hmm.
> 
> I also wrote this before actually reading the event story. While I knew there was zero chance Myu would ride western, it was still nice to get a confirmation of the style lol.
> 
> Ren is usually the personification of the cat face emoji : 3


End file.
